Of Importance
by Cosmic Sky
Summary: Lancaster Valentine's Day fic. Sometimes being possessive isn't such a bad thing, at least when it makes your girlfriend look cute or give you excuses to praise her. Other times it just means you have to remind that person how much they mean to you and why they mean so much to you.


**Not much to say other than Valentine's Day and Lancaster.**

 **I do not own anything.**

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As soon as he'd finished explaining Jaune was subject to wide looks from his fellow Huntsmen. Some of them had their jaws hanging open while others were simply in shock. "I knew I'd be able to take your breath away."

"I can't believe you're the same blond idiot I bullied back in freshman year." Cardin muttered falling back into his chair.

"You've studied the art of love well Jaune." Sun chuckled reaching over and giving him a high-five with a wide grin. "Ruby will love that!"

"I must say your plan to spend tomorrow night with Ruby is certainly…interesting." His longtime friend and confident Lie Ren added coughing into his fist. He knew Jaune had been keeping certain details from them for privacy's sake, but what he had described was still pretty…well all Ren could say was his best friend certainly had fostered a sense of romance. A far cry from his teenage self from some years ago. "I must warn you thought since this is Ruby we're talking about if Yang finds out…"

"Well down Jaune Arc, maybe a little crispy." Laughed the ginger-haired member of the bunch crossing his arms. "Ah, and maybe with a little something cut off."

Immediately shooting his rival knight a dull stare Jaune hoped that was the end of his mocking. Really, three years of learning how to put their differences aside and Cardin Winchester still found ways to annoy him or at most chip away at his self-esteem. He knew he took some enjoyment from it. Of course over time Jaune had learned how to hit back when he can. "Jealous you haven't come with anything as romantic for your date with Velvet?" Jaune fired back with a slight grin.

All around the table the boys laughed or chuckled at the straight frown that materialized over Cardin's face. Sun broke out into solid laughter which was joined by Fox.

"Hah hah Arc, we have plans for tomorrow thank you very much." The Winchester snorted grabbing a swing of his beer. "Just don't do anything stupid we have to spend almost two nights playing nurse for you."

"If I remember right the last time we had to do that it was because you'd pissed Velvet off by being careless." Yatsuhashi subtly jabbed from across the knight. "We had to be the ones playing nurse for almost three nights in a row."

Not one to be outdone or let the last blow fall on him Cardin took aim at a new target. "Monkey Boy here was put out for four days when he pissed off Belladonna because he couldn't keep his big mouth shut."

"Dude! Did you have to bring that up!?" Sun cried waving his arms frantically much to the amusement of the other members of the group.

This was a strange sort of brotherhood the males had formed in the past years. Then again, war and combat often had a strange way of turning bitter rivals and total strangers into close friends. That was how Jaune, Ren, Sun, Cardin, Fox, Yatsuhashi, and from time to time others found themselves forming something of a loose brotherhood they could turn to in times of crisis and confusion. Certainly the Battle of Vale had been a bonding experience for the lot of them, one that left them with a newfound respect for each other even if they didn't know how to verbal say it. Jaune never thought this would be his circle of male friends: a silent but strong gunmen, his former bully, a semi-scattered brained bo-staff wielder, a deaf fist fighter, and a giant of a samurai. There were others like Neptune, but these were the ones he was closest with. It wasn't a surprise they'd all met together at their favorite bar the night before Valentine's Day to discuss their plans.

Some days he looked back and found it a miracle they were actually alive and most of them were in functioning relationships.

Only half of Vale City was safe and operating normally, pretty good considering it had been abandoned for almost three years leaving Grimm and nature to ravage it. It was only natural the first thing they had to get working were the homes and hospitals, everything else including Beacon could come second. Speaking of Beacon Jaune was curious as to what plans there were for the decimated academy. Would reconstruction continue or would the workers be given the day off? Based on what he read it'd be at least two years before Beacon Academy was even a shadow of its former self. Until then they'd make due.

As the group finished their drinks they began to depart the bar waving goodbye to each other then starting on their own separate paths home. For Jaune he had Ren by his side since their apartments were practically side by side.

"Have your and Nora decided on what you're going to do for tomorrow?" He asked his old friend.

"Of course, she's been very…vocal about how she wants to spend tomorrow evening, and tomorrow night." Ren answered looking away with a blush coloring his cheeks. "I assume you and Ruby have been…discussing things?"

Catching his drift very quickly Jaune nervously began scratching the side of his face. "Oh yeah definitely. Uh Ren, can I ask you a question?"

"Always."

"Do you think it's wrong that I…enjoy it when Ruby gets…possessive of me?"

As usual Ren's face gave no sign of emotion as he simply stared at his blond friend with blank eyes. When they'd first met Jaune had come to fear that dry look, in time he'd grown to recognize it as Ren considering his answer. While romance was a subject neither could say they were truly educated in they'd learned, and Ren was better at emotions than he was. "I…don't believe there's anything wrong with it so long as you don't take it too far. Jaune, you enjoy it don't you? When she wraps her arms just a little tighter around you and when she holds onto you longer than necessary." Seeing the side smile on his face caused Ren to smile himself. "I feel the same way with Nora, when she gets like that…it feels…reassuring."

 _Guess we really are birds of a feather sometimes._ The blond knight thought laughing softly. Beside him the long-haired gunmen joined him taking solace in their shared interest. The positive side to having lovers such as Ruby Rose and Nora Valkyrie was that they weren't shy about showing their affections, especially when they felt someone was eying something that belonged to them. Call it a guilty pleasure, but they thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of their respective girlfriends and wouldn't change it for the world.

Ren broke off from him when they came upon his and Nora's shared apartment. Bidding his friend goodbye Jaune continued down almost another block until he was standing before a moderately sized redbrick townhouse quietly nested between dozens of other buildings. For Jaune and Ruby this had been home for the last year or so, their little haven away from the world. On the outside it looked rather plain and ordinary which was exactly why they'd picked it, they didn't want some lavish estate or million lien apartment that broadcasted who they were. Inside this building they were simply Jaune Arc and Ruby Rose, boyfriend and girlfriend. Inserting the key into the lock and pushing his way in he immediately heard the sound of the shower running.

"Looks like I made it back just in time." Jaune laughed hanging his coat on the rack then heading up the stairs towards the bedroom. It was a coin toss most nights who got home first, their schedules wild and unpredictable which from time to time put a dent on their romantic life. On the bright side it seemed both always managed to find enough strength to stay away until the other got home, and if they fell asleep a simple kiss or unexpected hug would do the job in waking them up. Sitting back on the edge of their queen sized bed Jaune patiently waited for his girlfriend to exit the shower wearing a lazy smile on his face. Hearing Ruby dry herself was a heavenly sound he'd learned to enjoy, almost like waking up to birds chirping. Knowing her she had no idea he'd come home and would be quite surprised to find him waiting for her.

When the door opened revealing his redheaded girlfriend draped in nothing but a towel he was prove right.

"J-Jaune!"

"Hey, didn't hear me come in did you?"

In a few short words and a look Ruby Rose went from the dreaded Reaper of Roses to the fumbling red-faced young girl she was when they first met. Often she questioned how and when Jaune had gained the power to invoke such a transformation over. Perhaps it was around the time she realized _she_ could change him from the confident strong-willed knight he was into the bumbling young teen he used to be when they first started out. He'd won this round, but she'd win the next one.

Regaining her composure she formed a sly smile on youthful face. "No, I didn't. It's nice to have you back." Her smile was positively enticing as was the way she moved her feet along the floor.

There was a sudden rush of wind and a burst of rose pelts and the next thing the knight knew his reaper girlfriend had her lips firmly pressed against his and her body was pressing against hers. On instinct his arms went to her waist pulling her deeper into the embrace. Rather by his own admission or the weight of Ruby's adult body Jaune found his himself falling back softly hitting the mattress but never breaking the lip lock. His hands went from his girlfriend's waist to her shoulder length red hair, he loved running his hands through her ebony and red-color locks just as much as she enjoyed doing the same to him.

Eventually when they withdrew Ruby sat upright revealing she'd now completely straddled her blond lover. As he'd discovered in time this was her favorite position. She liked being in control and Jaune allowed her to be, most of the time.

This position did come with its benefits for him, for example he got to gaze up at his redheaded angel without need for an excuse. Her mystical silver eyes seemed to hold his attention indefinitely and leave him speechless giving her the power to do whatever she wished to him.

Not this time though.

Gently grabbing her hand which was reaching for the crisp of her towel he whispered, "Let's save that sort of thing for tomorrow."

"No fair Jaune." Shout pouted puffing her cheeks.

He laughed and placed a light kiss on her noise. "Be a good girl and maybe you'll get what you want." Pulling away he made his way down the short hallway towards the shower leaving his still pouting girlfriend behind him. It was a pity he couldn't see her face, Ruby always looked cute when she pouted about not getting something she wanted.

 _What ever happened to my dorky Vomit Boy?_ She wondered dressing in her pajamas. Lifting her eyes from the ceiling to the set of photos by the bed she found her answer. Looking through them she remember how she'd watched the shy young man who'd helped out on her first day become the Arc the Impregnable, a warrior known throughout Vale and Mistral as a noble warrior and leader.

The first photo had been taken at the end of their first week, a time of wonder and amazement that was bittersweet for Ruby. They had all been oh so innocent and naïve back then with big dreams and aspirations for the future. Taking one framed photo in her hand she ran her thumbs over the image, one face in particular held her attention. "You'd be so proud of him Pyrrha." The reaper choked out feeling her heart tremble within her chest. She didn't try to linger too long on the Spartan's image, if she did she wouldn't be able to sleep or even accept having Jaune by her side. Placing the photo back down she looked at the others, moments of triumphant and joy recorded in photo form. She'd tried not to use them for her own drawings believing her memory was good enough to recreate the image. Most of them had been in Mistral; that was where she watched the boy become a man and fell in love with him.

Hearing the soft thud of the shower door she turned her head not intending to let her boyfriend get the drop on her. Seeing that the Arc smiled and flopped down onto the bed taking her up in her arms.

"Night Rubes." He muttered turning off the lights.

"Night Jaune."

The following morning she wasn't surprised to find her boyfriend missing. Before she could even open her eyes the sweet smell of breakfast beckoned to her raising her from the pillow and forming a smile on her face. Not surprisingly as she stretched herself awake she found a set of rose petals leading through the open door down the stairs to the kitchen.

Once again Ruby could do nothing but gush over the benefits of having a boyfriend who could cook. It was always nice to wake up to have heart-shaped pancakes dipped with syrup and ringed with strawberries alongside a collection of other treats such as waffles, crapes, and cinnamon rolls. A full course meal that had been hand-made with the utmost skill and emotion one could offer.

Having just taken off his apron and meets Jaune faced his girlfriend with a shy smile and a heavy blush. "Happy Valentine's Day Ruby." Rather than jumping at the food she jumped on him swinging both legs around his waist. Her joy-filled rambling was hard to make out, but Jaune got the bulk of it.

"You know when all this is over you could open a bakery, anywhere you want." She murmured.

"Maybe, but for now I'm happy doing it just for you. Ready to dig in?"

As usual the food was delicious, better than any restaurant or diner they could have stopped at in town. Knowing his lover could eat when she wanted to he'd prepared more than enough for her and himself to eat. Given what she often said about his cooking it was possible she wouldn't be feeling hungry until sometime past noon. As they ate they half paid attention to the news report playing on the small TV they'd placed in the kitchen. Every day it seemed to be the same: more reconstruction, battles with Grimm, and the occasional spat with the White Fang. Compared to what it _could_ have been Ruby and Jaune had reason enough to be grateful it was the same chatter day in and day out. Briefly turning to the weather channel they were happy to find it was going to be a nice day without any extreme changes.

The dishes could wait until later that night, or even the following morning. For the first class meal Ruby made sure Jaune received a lovely reward before heading back up to their room to get ready for their date.

"I can't believe I've come this far, or that I've actually got a girlfriend like Ruby." The knight sighed throwing his head back letting the sheer weight of the situation overwhelm him. "Hell, after all of that I can't believe I'm even alive."

Almost twenty minutes later and the door to the apartment swung up revealing the reaper and knight of Team RNJR. It went without saying but Ruby Rose was never one for womanly dresses, but time and growing up had done wonders for her. With her hair tied by in a long ponytail and an ebony and red-lined dress she looked like any other young woman about to spend the day with her beloved instead of the Reaper of Roses. Beside her said lover emerged brandishing a picnic basket in hand.

"Ready?"

"Always."

If their teenage selves could see them now Jaune and Ruby were sure they would have died of shock at the scene. The two walked through the streets arm in arm amongst the various other couples and citizens out enjoying the surprisingly warm winter day. They guessed they had mother nature to think for small miracles such as that.

Currently there was an estimated two hundred thousand or so people living in Vale City at the moment, less than one fifth of its original population. With each day that passed that a portion of the city was retaken groups scattered throughout the kingdom flocked to the city bolstering its population; some of those groups included rogue Huntsmen pleased to know some semblance of order was being restored. Having the heroes of the Battle of Haven helping with reconstruction certainly helped.

" _You always wanted to be a hero."_ Ruby had once told him in the battle's aftermath when they began getting swamped with attention. Based on the impish grin on her face she was enjoying the embarrassment the Arc was going through now that his wish had been granted.

" _Yeah, okay maybe this is a little more than what I wanted. Then again you're getting just as much attention as I am."_ It took him almost a minute of sputtering to come up with that response. _"I guess in a weird way we both got what we wanted."_

It wasn't surprising the fame of that battle followed them back home; what annoyed Ruby was the fact Jaune's newfound reputation did so as well. When Neptune joked Jaune had finally become a man Ruby took the comment in a casual manner; that stopped when _other_ girls started noticing Jaune's positive character traits. When they returned to their home kingdom Jaune's reputation had…expanded.

As they walked Ruby subconsciously kept flashing her eyes at every single female that passed them. Her silver eyes weren't openly hostile, but they did carry a hidden warning for the ladies to keep on walking. Some women who caught her message did so while others…let their eyes linger on her boyfriend a little too long. The ones who cheerily greeted Jaune but not her in particular earned an invisible glare from the reaper. Whenever that happened she felt a warm hand tighten around her waist reminding her she had nothing to worry about. A shy blush would then flourish along her cheeks while her boyfriend would give a light chuckle.

"Sorry about this." She muttered.

"Hey, it's not a problem. By this point I've kind of gotten used to random people actually paying attention to me." The knight replied. "It's still not as nice as having you pay attention to me."

Completely blocking out the public Ruby turned Jaune's head so she could place a chaste kiss on his lips. "Whatever happened to my dorky Vomit Boy?"

"He finally took some lessons on how to become less dorky." Jaune said enjoying the feeling of her leaning on his shoulder again.

They came to one of the handful of parks that had been successfully reconstructed in the aftermath of the battle. Crater Park, as some had called it due to the numerous craters that littered the area, was a fairly pleasant place for many families and couples to spend time at. Valentine's Day just happened to be a time when the park became rapidly packed with couples, specifically Huntsmen couples retelling stories to their lovers. Sharing a smile Jaune and Ruby made off trying to find a spot of their own. Finding one under a rather large tree Ruby quickly sped to its base and plumped down claiming it for their own. Jaune joined her a second later spreading the blanket out for them.

People often came to her asking what I felt like having the Golden Guardian for a boyfriend, Ruby never really knew how to answer them, not even to her sister or teammates. She guessed that even after all these years words were still an elusive means of communication for her.

" _He's just Jaune."_ Was what she'd always answered when they pressed for details. If she could have she'd shown them this moment to illustrate her point.

Setting up their picnic he wasn't the iron-hearted knight who could face down hordes of Grimm and maniacs, remain cool under pressure, and a tactical genius, he was simply Jaune Arc. Her mouth watered as he brought the food out fully knowing she was watching him. She swore whenever he cooked or prepared food he dragged things out solely to tease her.

As usual the finely prepared meal the knight had made for them was delicious, on par with the breakfast he'd cooked earlier. That being said, not even it could root out the unease building within Ruby. Placing both hands on her knees she looked away from her blond boyfriend. "I'm…sorry, really sorry if all day I've been coming off as clingy."

"Ruby, we've been through this before, it's fine." He countered waving it off.

"N-No, it's not." She fired back shaking her head. "We, I can't go on like this. Not if every time a girl looks at you I get all possessive and act like they're trying to steal you away from me."

Raising an eyebrow Jaune responded, "You never do this when I'm talking to Weiss, Blake, Yang, or any other female we know."

"First off Weiss and Blake have Neptune and Sun, Yang's…well, she flirts with everyone so that's not a problem. Velvet, Nora, and Coco all have guys of their own so…I…well." This was turning out worse than she thought. Resorting to fiddling with her dress to avoid meeting Jaune's eyes she hoped he'd just drop the topic. No dice as she could feel his azure-colored eyes staying locked on her. Heaving a defeated sigh from her lips she brought her knees up to her chin. "You're my first boyfriend Jaune, I…I really… _really_ don't want to lose you to another girl."

Reaching over he placed a head over her knee while the other gently titled her head up so she could look him in the eye. "Why would I look at other girls when there's this totally cool one right beside me?"

"You're just saying that." Though it was meant to be a rebuttal Ruby could feel herself smiling.

"Seriously, all this girls, they've got nothing on you."

"And now you're ripping off a song."

"Ruby, I'm serious here." He stated.

"Okay then, what about me do you like?"

Leaning back on his hands and knees he let the cool wind kiss his face. "No other girl I know can look as graceful as you when they're fighting. With you it's like fighting becomes an art." Flashing a close-eyed grin he continued, "Call me crazy, but I find that attractive."

"Hm, I _do_ look pretty awesome when I'm fighting off Grimm don't I?" The redhead giggled.

"Yeah, and the best part is you're still the kindest person I've ever know. You can kill hordes of Grimm, face down megalomaniacs, blood thirsty terrorist, and even the Mother of all Grimm, but you're still the same girl that became the first friend I ever made at Beacon." Turning his eyes from the reaper to the semi-clear sky he let the floodgates open. "You look cute when you're gushing over weapons, even when said weapons are being pointed at you. Hell, even if I find it a little weird I like how you treat Crescent Rose like it's your own child. As a matter of fact you're great with kids period, that's why I can't wait for you to go visit my family, my little sisters will love you."

With each word Ruby could feel her face growing redder and redder by the second and her heart pounding faster and faster against her chest. Eventually her impulsion control failed resulting in her throwing her arms around Jaune leaving him flat on the ground. "I'm so lucky to have a boyfriend like you!"

 _Yang's been teaching her too many wrestling moves._ The knight concluded feeling his girlfriend's vice-like grip tighten around his neck. She had a tendency to let her strength go when she was excited. Still, having her this close gave him the chance to take in the sweet smell of strawberries that constantly stuck to her body. "Er, keep this up and your cookies might start getting stall."

"You packed me cookies?" She exclaimed with stars in her eyes.

"Chocolate chip." He answered with a little smile.

There was one thing Jaune hadn't said to Ruby when he was listing his reasons for being with her. They were the ones he didn't feel safe announcing in public, only in the privacy of their home would he ever voice them. One of them was _no other woman_ he's ever met could replace Ruby. It had taken him a while to realize Ruby herself wasn't merely a replace for Pyrrha, but an opportunity to move on with his life. She was everything he wanted his future to be-bright and happy. Sitting here with her enjoying lunch amidst countless other couples was exactly what he wanted. Perhaps one day he'd be able to tell Ruby this, but not today. It wasn't the time for that kind of talk.

After lunch they had decided to see a movie, though instead of a romantic comedy they decided to go for something a little…different.

"You know…I'm sure somewhere on the other side of town Sun is begging Blake to go see this. I mean it's as close as her books are going to get to becoming real life." Jaune stated feeling heat rush to his cheeks. When she didn't immediately respond Jaune coughed into his fist. "You know we could always go for a usual flick. There's nothing wrong with-"

"No! We're seeing this Fifty Shades whatever! Yang's not around to scare me off and I have a boyfriend of my own so there's nothing stopping me!" She fiercely proclaimed grabbing Jaune by the arm and dragging him into the ticket line. Her face was almost as red as her namesake, and when the movie actually started Jaune imagined it would get redder.

When he left her to go get the popcorn he was pretty sure his face was getting closer to that shade of red as well. _Just relax, as of now you're just another guy taking his girl out for a movie. Granted it's a movie that's probably going to leave you with a…ah hell!_ He didn't want to slap himself in the middle of a teeming crowd of people, not after all he'd done to build a prestigious image for himself. It was weird how as he composed himself he came face to face with a sight that shook it him to his core.

The equally wide eyes of his rival stared back at his with equal intensity and his mouth hung open just as Jaune's did except no sound came out of it. The blond-haired Faunus beside him nearly dropped his popcorn in shock.

"C-Ca…Cardin? S-Sun…wha…You guys aren't here to see…?" When they both nodded Jaune became very aware of his probably flustered girlfriend sitting alone in the theater…with Velvet and Blake God knows where. He prayed like hell she wasn't talking to them as he spoke with their male lovers. First he addressed the Faunus, "W-What are you…I thought Blake some…stuff with the White Fang to…"

"I convinced her to take the day off." His fellow blond answered. "I-I well, you see guys, uh-"

"Get your food, go back to your girl, sit down, watch the damn movie, and don't speak." Cardin barked now sporting a hot red line across his face. "We _never_ talk about this again, not to the girls or to the guys. Agreed?"

"Yeah."

"Totally!"

Sun winked at him as he and Cardin passed him while Jaune went on to get the food. _I guess I'm not the only one with a chance at getting lucky tonight._ When he returned to the theater he spotted Ruby and thankfully found no traces of Velvet or Blake. Remembering Cardin's words he put on his best smile as he took his seat next to his girlfriend and waited patiently for the movie to begin.

As both predicted by the time they left the theater the reaper and knight had beat-red faces and steam bellowing from their ears. Needless to say the movie had been as…lucid as the book had been, or at least as close as the producers were willing to go. Neither warriors were willing to meet the other's eyes for fear of seeing the embarrassment and possibly lust that might have been swimming in their eyes.

"That was…quite a movie." Jaune finally sputtered out.

"Y-Ye…ah, you could say that again." His girlfriend added wrapping her arm around Jaune's. _I can be twenty years-old, but Yang would still kill me if she knew I went to go see that movie, with Jaune!_ "Kind of makes you wonder what the books were like."

By the time they got back on the streets the sun had already begun its steady decent towards the horizon elongating shadows and bathing the rebuilt city orange and yellow. With the work day coming to a close more couples and singles began taking to the streets now free to enjoy the evening and following night. It became obvious a great many of these people were Huntsmen and Huntresses coming home from a day of fighting and scouting. Some of them Ruby and Jaune recognized and greeted as they passed them by, others greeted them glad they could meet the heroes of the Battle of Haven. When the ladies winked or made a pass at Jaune he noticed the grip on his arm didn't tighten, rather his grip on Ruby tightened instead.

This didn't go unnoticed by Ruby as she realized what goes around comes around. Growing up Yang had always been the one who males and admirers looked to when the sisters went out in public. Even at a young age she knew her sister was considered extremely attractive, and that sentiment only grew as she progressed from a girl into a woman. Though the loss of her arm had been something of a setback her outer beauty was still enough to turn the eyes of many a man. Ruby never thought she'd get that kind of attention, but life had a funny way of surprising the unexpected. As her reputation and body grew Ruby found herself the unexpected recipient of the attention that usually went to her sister. Remembering all the reasons Jaune listed to her she realized it wasn't just the blond knight who found her combat abilities attractive.

The difference was for all the Huntsmen and warriors whose attention she drew Ruby had a feeling on some level it was superficial. _They could be the handsomest guy in Remnant, but none of them could hold a candle to you._ Ruby mused returning her head to her favorite place on the crux of Jaune's neck.

With the fall of night Vale City truly came alive with couples and citizens not just enjoying the romance in the air but the simple joy of having their home back. Ruby and Jaune did a little bit of both enjoying the celebrations for all their worth.

"You ever thought this was where we'd end up?" He asked her amidst the haze of carnival events and festivities.

"Nope, but I'm glad we got here." Ruby answered him motioning to the dance stage that had been set up in the middle of the town square.

It was a full moon which added a certain flair to the romantic air that already hung heavy over the town. Truly it had been a night when the people of Vale had been blessed with pure peace and serenity after almost four years of darkness and turmoil. With that joy fueling them countless couples took to the dance floor including the knight and reaper.

Ruby's rose-scented shampoo hadn't warn off despite the day's events, or rather Jaune doubted it ever would because Ruby always seemed to smell of rose pelts. Over the years he'd come to find her unique scent comforting and at times enchanting. After their relationship took a romantic turn he'd grown somewhat addicted to it. It was something he grown accustomed to waking up to in the morning and going to bed with. On Ruby's side there was something about Jaune's physical body she'd come to find comforting. When they were teenagers he'd never been the most physical built guy around, but he was kind. That kindness was a type of warmth she treasured just as she believed his teammates came to treasure. Before she knew it Jaune's warmth had become something she'd subconsciously seek out in times of duress or doubt, and eventually simply for pleasure. The added muscles he gained during their adventures certainly made any physical contact they shared all the better.

"Sometimes I feel the same way you do." The knight spoke up as the music dropped them into a slow dance he found rather fitting. Both his hands were wrapped around her waist in an almost possessive manner similar to how she'd held him earlier. "Some nights I go to bed scared you're just going to…disappear on me. One day you'll wake up and realize there's someone better for you than just me."

The sadness that lined his voice immediately told Ruby what to do to remedy the situation. Moving her hands from his shoulders to his face she turned his downwards head so they were eye-to-eye. Really, rather he was sad or happy his sky-colored eyes were always something she enjoyed looking at. "I don't know if that guy is out there, and if he is then I'm not in a hurry to meet him because the perfect guy for me is already here. What could be better than a boy I've known for five years, who's been with me on my best days and worst days, I've fought and nearly died besides, and who I've given everything I am to?" Jaune's face went red as her namesake upon the mention of "that night" almost two years ago. "A guy who's baked the best cookies and cakes I've ever tasted for me when I was depressed or happy. A guy who'd laugh at my stupid jokes no matter how bad they were? A guy who I know is a leader and a protector to his core, that's the kind of person you are and that's the kind of person I want beside me. After being everything I wanted do you seriously think I would leave you?" Despite the joy she got from flustering her boyfriend her tone was now serene and her face convened nothing but seriousness.

Jaune swallowed a lump in his throat before answering. Somewhere inside he knew this day would come, he just wasn't expecting it so soon. "I…after Pyrrha I _can't_ lose you." Gently placing his forehead against hers he breathed out, "I had Nora, Ren, _and_ you to pull me out of that…hole. Even now we know Salem's still out there, still hunting for you because she knows you're a threat. She showed how far she's willing to go to kill you at Mistral City. If something happened to you then I'd…I'd…"

"But you're not going to lose me." She whispered with a smile that never failed to brighten Jaune's mood. "I don't plan on dying, and I don't plan on letting anyone take you from me either."

In the background the fireworks began going off drawing the attention of the crowd and dancers save for Jaune and Ruby. If anything the fireworks were simply representations of the fires proudly burning within each of them. Their faces were illuminated by the bright red and pink explosions. Every detail on Ruby's near flawless face shined and her silver eyes were pools of light the knight felt he could spend eternity staring into. Jaune's face hadn't quite lost all of its boyish charm, but it had made the transition to manhood well. He'd kept his face free of any traces of a beard or mustache on her request leaving him looking remarkable young and handsome. There was a signal defining scar that ran down the edge of his right eyebrow, other than that he'd managed to remain scar-free.

"Say, do you remember what we started last night?" The reaper offered with something of a devilish smirk. Seeing her boyfriend nod she leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "How do you feel about finishing it? You did say to wait until tomorrow."

Returning her sly smirk with one of his own the knight whispered how she'd taken the words out of his mouth before taking her by the hand and leaving the crowd. She let him take the lead all the way until they got home where he pried the door open. The second it was open Ruby's lips were on his and her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Eager aren't you?" He laughed as they pulled back for breath.

"I've been patient enough all week, I think I deserve this just as much as you do." Ruby countered.

Kicking the door shut behind them he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom while undoing the ponytail the reaper had her hair in. Letting her flop down onto their bed let her rose-tipped hair spread out before him. With her disheveled look and hungry look in her eyes Jaune knew any semblance of restraint he had wasn't going to be enough to stop him. Their lips were connected for maybe thirty seconds before he found himself lying on his back with Ruby straddling him just as she had done the night before.

"What? You got to be in control last time so I figured this time I'd be on top." She offered slowly unbuttoning the blonde's shirt. "That is unless you feel like fighting me for control."

He knew that grin, that devious little smile none could ever imagine taking resident on the face of Ruby Rose. Jaune had known though, just as he'd come to know and enjoy several other little personality quirks Ruby kept hidden from the world. "Okay then Crater Face, I'll let you be on top," Suddenly sitting up he smashed his lips against hers forcing her mouth open so their tongues could do battle. Her pleasurable moans were music to his ears. Pulling away he leaned in close enough so her panting breath tickled his neck. "This time."

With the knight's permission Ruby dove in thoroughly enjoying the experience. For as long as she could remember Valentine's Day had always been a day marked by chocolates and seeing her namesake plastered all over the place. In the past three years or so that had changed for the better. Now instead of just roses and sweets she could associate it with the color yellow, and the arms of her own personal knight in shining armor.

* * *

 **In case it wasn't clear Ruby is twenty and Jaune is twenty-two; while they're pretty cute as they are I kind of have a thing for picturing them as a couple maybe three years down the line as early adults. Certainly enough time for the two of them to go from socially awkward teens to your fairly standard couple with a few bouts of comedy here and there. Originally this was supposed to be a lemon fic, but time constraints happened. I still plan on doing a Lancaster lemon fic, perhaps sometime in March or April since I have a few plot ideas for those two months.**

 **Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Take care!**


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